Association of Friedrich’s Ataxia with Sacroilitis and Celiac Disease

Abstract

Spinocerebellar ataxia is a hereditary neurological disorder with heterogeneous features. Cerebellar ataxia is frequently seen together with cerebellar and non-cerebellar symptoms. Celiac disease (CD) is known to be associated with neurologic and psychiatric disorders including cerebellar ataxia, peripheral neuropathy, epilepsy, dementia, and depression. In this study, we illustrate a 30-year-old female patient with Friedrich's ataxia (FA) who came to our clinic with chronic backache and eventually diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) and celiac disease (CD). She had no gastrointestinal symptoms. It remains unclear whether gluten sensitivity contributes to the pathogenesis of these disorders or whether it represents an epiphenomenon. Diagnosis of ataxia, AS and CD diseases coinciding in a patient will be clarified by the unanswered questions of immunopathogenesis of these diseases.